There’s always plenty of passion when Hawthorn take on Essendon, and the opening game of the split round was to be no exception. But it was the Hawks who would emerge with bragging rights when they took control in the final quarter to record a 16-point win over the Bombers; one that keeps their winning streak and position in the top 8 intact while making it very difficult for the Bombers to repeat last season’s September appearance.The Hawks were looking good in the first half, leading by 18 points at quarter time and by the long break the Hawk advantage had extended to 21. But the Bombers lifted a gear in the third term, and with more intensity in their midfield and making the most of their opportunities, the Bombers began to haul in the deficit. They were helped on their way by some appalling finishing by the Hawks, with some seemingly certain steadying goals being missed. The Bombers kicked 4.1 to 1.4 for the quarter, cutting the margin to just 6 points at the last change.And early in the final term, the Bombers took the lead. With their tails up, and momentum running their way, it was looking good for Essendon.But cometh the hour, cometh the man. And the man for the Hawks was Buddy Franklin. Gathering the ball on the 50m line next to the boundary, Franklin shook off the attentions of the Bomber defenders before curling home an amazing goal from an impossible angle to level the scores. A minute later, a mark and goal from 55 metres out restored the lead for the Hawks. Hawthorn lifted, Essendon heads dropped. And the Hawks had steadied, on their way to their 6th win on the trot.Hawthorn 5.7 8.9 9.13 14.18 (102)Essendon 3.1 5.6 9.7 13.8 (86)Goals : Hawthorn – L Franklin 5, B Muston 3, C Young 2, S Burgoyne, J Lewis, M Osborne, C Rioli. Essendon – A Davey 3, S Lonergan 2, T Bellchambers, S Gumbleton, N Lovett-Murray, M McVeigh, P Ryder, J Watson, J Winderlich, D Zaharakis.Best : Hawthorn – L Franklin, M Osborne, S Mitchell, J Lewis, C Young, S Burgoyne. Essendon – J Watson, J Winderlich, A Davey, B Prismall, P Ryder, M McVeigh.Injuries : Hawthorn – Nil. Essendon – Nil.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Margetts, Chamberlain, McInerney.Crowd - 54,148 at MCG.

After consecutive losses Fremantle needed a win to get their top 4 ambitions back on track, and the Dockers achieved that when they held out a fast-finishing Carlton to win by 9 points at Docklands.Taking advantage of some appalling Carlton inaccuracy early, the Dockers gained the ascendancy to build up a lead. There were only 9 points in it at the first change, but the Blues would score 10 behinds before they finally bagged a goal; and by then they were chasing the game. Despite having had more scoring shots than the Dockers, the Blues trailed by 22 points at the long break, and when the Dockers raced out of the blocks in the third term with two more goals within the first 5 minutes the game looked to be drifting out of Carlton’s reach.The margin was 26 points at the last change, and worse had occurred for the Blues when ruckman Matthew Kreuzer’s game had been brought to a premature end by a knee injury. The lead stretched further in the first minute of the final quarter, Michael Barlow kicking his 4th game; and with over 30 touches for the game the Docker midfielder was doing his chances of winning the Brownlow in his debut season no harm at all.But when the game had looked dead and buried, the Blues suddenly came to life. Players who had been barely sighted till then began to make an impact, and the misfiring Blues forwards began to find their line. 6 of the last 8 goals was a reflection of the Blues’ new-found confidence; but the margin was too great and the Blues comeback too late for them to steal the game. The Dockers with the win retain their position in the top 4, while the Blues have suffered successive defeats.Fremantle 2.4 7.4 11.9 14.12 (96)Carlton 0.7 2.12 6.13 12.17 (87)Goals : Fremantle – M Barlow 4, R Crowley 2, H Ballantyne 2, D Mundy, A Morabito, K Bradley, A Sandilands, P Hasleby, N Fyfe. Carlton – E Betts 4, J Waite 2, B Thornton 2, M Garlett 2, L Henderson 2.Best : Fremantle – A Sandilands, M Barlow, D Mundy, P Haselby, P Duffield, G Ibbotson. Carlton –E Betts, A Walker, B Gibbs, K Simpson, J Waite, A Carrazzo.Injuries : Fremantle – Nil. Carlton – M Murphy (hamstring tightness) replaced in selected side by D Armfield, M Kreuzer (left knee).Reports – Nil Umpires - Donlon, Meredith, Mollison, Stewart (replaced Donlon in the second half).Crowd - 28,869 at Docklands.

A season that had promised much for Brisbane has delivered little, and the Lions received a further humiliation when they were defeated at home by bottom side Richmond by 19 points.A scrappy encounter between two teams struggling for form saw numerous skill errors from both sides, in what was hardly a stunning exhibition of football at its best. The Tigers gained the early ascendancy, with 5 goals to 2 in the opening term to lead by 16 points at the first change; and by half time the lead was out to 20 points. The Lions stopped the rot to some extent in the third term, holding the Tigers to a solitary goal, but were only able to find two goals themselves and the Tigers still led by 14 points at the last change.But the Lions weren’t quite finished yet, and with the first two goals of the final term the margin was suddenly down to 4 points and the crowd began to find their voice, hoping to urge the Lions to hit the lead and take out the victory. But it wasn’t to be, as the Tigers steadied and with 5 of the last 7 goals did enough to earn their third win of the season and condemn the Lions to their 8th loss in the last 9 games.The game was Brendan Fevola’s 200th game, but was one of the former Blue’s worst. Only one goal, coming from a free kick, along with several misses, an air-swing and some missed tackles that made it too easy for the Tiger defenders to clear the ball out of danger. But there were plenty of other Lions in the same boat, as too few of them made any form of contribution; and the Lions’ dismal run of form continues with confidence and morale in the Lions’ camp continuing to worsen.Richmond 5.2 9.7 10.12 15.15 (105)Brisbane 2.4 6.5 8.10 12.14 (86)Goals : Richmond – J Riewoldt 3, A Collins 3, M White 2, S Edwards 2, B Cousins, D Martin, M Farmer, T Vickery, B Griffiths. Brisbane – A Cornelius 3, B Staker 3, D Banfield 2, T Rockliff, J Redden, J Sherman, B Fevola.Best : Richmond – A Graham, S Tuck, C Newman, B Deledio, B Cousins, D Connors. Brisbane – J Redden, T Johnstone, T Rockliff, T Banfield, M Rischitelli, B Staker.Injuries : Richmond – L McGuane. Brisbane - S Black (virus, replaced in starting side by A Cornelius), A Buchanan.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Vozzo, Farmer, Jennings.Crowd - 28,415 at Gabba.

North Melbourne’s mid-season resurgence continued and Port Adelaide’s misery worsened when the Kangaroos completed their third win on the trot, defeating the Power by 36 points at Docklands.The roof was closed in wet and cold conditions, but despite the protection of the roof only a small crowd of 15,000 was on hand. The fans who were there witnessed a close contest in the first half, with multiple lead changes. The Kangaroos led by 5 points at quarter time, and by half time the lead had been stretched to 13 points.But the third quarter, a high-scoring term of attacking football, was crucial in determing the destiny of the match. The Kangaroos quickly took the ascendancy with the first three goals of the quarter, and finished with a return of 7 goals to 5 to blow the game out of Port’s reach. At the last change the margin had blown out to 29 points, and the Power were unable to stop the Kangaroos’ juggernaut in the final term as they cruised to a comprehensive win.Lachie Hansen was pivotal for the Kangaroos, kicking 5 goals. Veteran midfielder Brent Harvey with 32 touches of the footy, and Brady Rawlings with 29, also played key roles for the Kangaroos. Jay Schulz put in a career-high 7 goal haul to be easily Port’s best player.The Kangaroos, with their third win in a row, find themselves only outside the top 8 on percentage; and although their percentage is very low they still have given themselves a genuine chance of taking part in the playoff action. But it was a disastrous afternoon for Port, their 6th loss on the trot, and time is running out for Port to make their move if they still hold out hopes of September action.North Melbourne 4.2 6.7 13.12 19.15 (129)Port Adelaide 3.3 4.6 9.7 14.9 (93)Goals : North Melbourne – L Hansen 5, B Harvey 2, M Campbell 2, H McIntosh 2, B Warren 2, A Swallow, L Thomas, R Bastinac, C Garlett, T Goldstein, S Wright. Port Adelaide – J Schulz 7, C Hitchcock 3, D Motlop 2, D Meyer, D Rodan.Best : North Melbourne – B Harvey, L Hansen, A Swallow, B Rawlings, D Pratt, H McIntosh. Port Adelaide – J Schulz, D Pearce, K Cornes, M Thomas, T Logan, J Surjan.Injuries : North Melbourne – B Cunnington (broken nose). Port Adelaide – P Stewart (broken nose).Reports – Nil. Umpires - McLaren, Kamolins, Pannell.Crowd - 15,109 at Docklands.

West Coast’s season went from bad to worse when the Eagles lowered their colours to the Western Bulldogs by 60 points at Subiaco.The Bulldogs led at every change, although the Eagles worked hard to keep themselves within striking distance. There was a point in it at quarter time, and the Bulldogs led by 9 points at the long break. Even at three-quarter time the margin was 23 points and the Eagles may have still held hopes of coming from behind to snatch the game.But the last quarter was a horror story for the home side, and the Bulldogs dominated proceedings. Six goals to one for the quarter turned the game into a blowout, the Bulldogs’ dominance reflected in the second half scoring shot tally, with the Bulldogs scoring 19 times in the half while the Eagles troubled the scorers only three times.The Bulldogs shared the goalkicking honours around, with 11 individual goalkickers. Lindsay Gilbee, Daniel Cross and Matthew Boyd all accumulated over 30 possessions as the Bulldogs controlled the midfield. Bradd Dalziell with 29 touches was the Eagles’ top possession winner, but too few Eagles made any contribution to the team cause.The result boosts the Bulldogs’ percentage and keeps them in range of the top 4; but only percentage separates the Eagles from the dreaded wooden spoon position.Western Bulldogs 3.4 7.8 11.10 17.17 (119)West Coast 3.5 6.5 8.5 9.5 (59)Goals : Bulldogs – B Hall 3, B Johnson 2, J Grant 2, D Giansiracusa 2, B Stack 2, R Griffen, J Hill, L Gilbee, M Hahn, N Eagleton, W Minson. West Coast – M LeCras 3, A Strijk 2, B Dalziell, B McKinley, Q Lynch, J Kennedy.Best : Bulldogs – L Gilbee, D Cross, M Boyd, D Giansiracusa, J Harbrow, B Lake. West Coast – B Dalziell, S Selwood, B Waters, W Schofield, B Sheppard, A Embley.Injuries : Bulldogs – Nil. West Coast - A Selwood replaced in selected side by Q Lynch, S Hurn (leg).Reports – Nil. Umpires - Kennedy, Nicholls, Dalgleish.Crowd - 34,280 at Subiaco.

On a wet and windy Friday night at the MCG, St Kilda achieved some small measure of revenge for last year’s grand final when the Saints completed a 24-point win over Geelong.The win was set up in the third quarter. The Cats led by a point at quarter time, and by 16 points at the long break. But the St Kilda defence was at its miserly best in the third term, and the Cats were unable to score in the quarter. The Saints’ relentless drive through the midfield created scoring opportunities, and although marking the ball was difficult in the wet conditions, the small forwards were always around the drop of the ball to gain possession. Adam Schneider weighed in with 4 goals, while third-gamer Jack Steven contributed 3 goals to the St Kilda cause.The Saints scored 5.3 to nothing for the quarter, turning the 16 point deficit into a 17 point lead. And with the track now heavier and fatigue taking control, the Cats could find no way back into the contest. The Saints would score the only goal for the final quarter, a goal-less second half for the Cats as the ladder leaders were well held and their midfield was unable to find its normal penetration.And so the Cats’ 7-game winning streak comes to an end, and only percentage separates the Cats and the Saints at the top of the table.St Kilda 2.1 4.3 9.6 10.10 (70)Geelong 2.2 6.7 6.7 6.10 (46)Goals : St Kilda – A Schneider 4, J Steven 3, S Milne 2, N Dal Santo. Geelong – G Ablett 2, A Mackie, C Ling, M Stokes, S Johnson.Best : St Kilda – L Hayes, N Dal Santo, L Montagna, B Goddard, S Fisher, S Gilbert. Geelong – C Enright, J Selwood, D Milburn, G Ablett, J Bartel, C Ling.Injuries : St Kilda – Nil. Geelong - H Taylor (ankle), S Johnson (hand), J Bartel (elbow).Reports – Nil. Umpires - Rosebury, Stevic, Ryan.Crowd - 58,208 at the MCG.

The mid-season split round has been a happy hunting ground for Collingwood, the Magpies having an imposing record in their annual clash against the Swans at ANZ Stadium. And a massive number of Magpie supporters made the trip to Sydney, where the Magpies once again dominated proceedings to take out a comfortable 25-point victory.With former Sydney ruckman Darren Jolly dominating the hit-outs and giving the Magpies first use of the ball, the Magpies dominated from the start. Inaccuracy hampered them early, and the 9-point margin at the first change should have been considerably greater. But the early stages of the second quarter were critical, with the Magpies quickly running in to score 4 goals, at one stage leading by 31 points. Even with the Swans scoring the last two goals of the quarter, and the first of the third term, the Magpies still enjoyed a comfortable win.The third term again saw the Magpies let themselves down with inaccurate finishing, but the Swans weren’t getting enough of the ball to make the Magpies suffer from their errors. Instead, a constant flow of the ball to the Collingwood forward line kept the scoreboard ticking over and ensured that, even with their poor finishing, the sheer volume of scoring opportunities would take their toll.By the last change the margin was out to 34 points, and even with the Swans winning the last quarter there was never any suggestion they would trouble Collingwood’s grip on the game. The Swans, winless against Collingwood since 2005, had again dropped their colours to their nemesis, and the thousands in black and white at the southern end of the ground were in full voice, demonstrating that the Swans’ fortress had been well and truly penetrated by the rampant Magpies.Click here to see Harboursport’s photo gallery from this match.Collingwood 3.6 7.11 10.17 13.18 (96)Sydney 2.3 4.4 6.7 10.11 (71)Goals : Collingwood – C Dawes 3, S Sidebottom 2, T Cloke 2, L Brown 2, H O'Brien, B Dick, D Jolly, A Didak. Sydney – R O'Keefe 3, B McGlynn 2, B Kirk, C Bird, R Shaw, G Rohan, J White.Best : Collingwood – D Jolly, D Swan, H Shaw, D Thomas, L Ball, L Brown. Sydney – M Mattner, J Kennedy, J McVeigh, K Jack, R Shaw, B McGlynn.Injuries : Collingwood – B Dick (shoulder). Sydney – Nil.Reports – Nil. Umpires - McBurney, Wenn, Findlay.Crowd - 43,585 at ANZ Stadium.

Adelaide ensured they would remain a game above the dreaded wooden spoon position when the Crows were 44 points too good for a disappointing Melbourne at AAMI Stadium.The Crows did the damage in the first half. Despite some early inaccuracy the Crows led by 21 points at quarter time and extended their advantage to 41 points at the long break. But the Crows, when they had the Demons on the ropes, failed to put them away in the third term. A scoreline of 1.9 for the quarter reflected the litany of missed opportunities to make the game safe. Down the other end, the Demons kicked 5 goals for the quarter to cut the margin to 25 points at the last change.But that was as close as the Demons were able to get. The three-quarter time break stopped the Demon momentum and the Crows were able to steady in the final quarter.For the Crows, the result was a welcome win in a season when too few of them have happened. For the moment at least, the Crows find themselves still a game plus percentage ahead of the bottom; and although a run at the finals is probably beyond them, they still have the chance to play the second half of this season coming home with a wet sail. But the Demons, winless in the last four rounds, are finding the pace they set earlier in the season just too hard to maintain; and the finals hopes the Demons felt a month ago are rapidly fading.Adelaide 4.6 9.10 10.19 16.21 (117)Melbourne 1.3 3.5 8.6 11.7 (73)Goals : Adelaide – K Tippett 4, M Jaensch 3, T Walker 2, G Johncock, J Griffin, B Vince, I Maric, R Henderson, N van Berlo, P Dangerfield. Melbourne – M Bate 4, B Green 2, L Dunn 2, C Bruce 2, N Jetta.Best : Adelaide – S Goodwin, G Johncock, M Doughty, B Symes, R Sloane, B Vince. Melbourne – T Scully, B Green, J Grimes, C Bruce, M Bate, J Trengove.Injuries : Adelaide – D Mackay (sprained ankle). Melbourne – Nil.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Ryan, Armstrong, Jeffery.Crowd - 34,442 at AAMI Stadium.